André Masson

(French, 1896–1987)

André Masson was a French artist whose work has been cited as the bridge between Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. He was a noted proponent of automatic art, in which the hand is allowed to move freely across the canvas without a conscious plan in order to uncover thoughts and images from the subconscious mind. One such example, Automatic Drawing (1924), now hangs prominently in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Born on January 4, 1896 in Balagny-sur-Thérain, France, he studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Belgium, and was later wounded during World War I. During the Second World War, Masson fled to the United States and worked from a farmhouse in Connecticut. His work gradually attracted the attention of the art world in New York, and Jackson Pollock is rumored to have been inspired by Masson’s Pasiphae (1944) when it was shown at Buchholz Gallery in Manhattan in 1944. In 1976, Masson’s work was the subject of a retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. He died on October 28, 1987 in Paris, France.

Related Categories

Contemporary Art, Drawings and Works on Paper, Impressionist and Modern Art, Prints and Multiples, Surrealism

Related Artists

Georges Bataille, André Breton, Max Ernst, Roberto Matta, Joan Miró

Most Expensive Artwork Sold at Auction

Gradiva, 1939
Sold price: 3,125,579 USD

André Masson Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

André Masson (6,509 results)
Morgane (+ Métamorphoses, smllr; 2 works), 1976

André Masson

Morgane (+ Métamorphoses, smllr; 2 works), 1976

Sale Date: May 31, 2011

Auction Closed

Ommagio a Michelangelo, 1975

André Masson

Ommagio a Michelangelo, 1975

Sale Date: June 11, 2011

Auction Closed

L'astrologue, 1966–1967

André Masson

L'astrologue, 1966–1967

Sale Date: June 9, 2011

Auction Closed

Amours légendaires, 1959

André Masson

Amours légendaires, 1959

Sale Date: June 9, 2011

Auction Closed

Electra, 1964

André Masson

Electra, 1964

Sale Date: June 9, 2011

Auction Closed

Kabuki, 1955

André Masson

Kabuki, 1955

Sale Date: June 8, 2011

Auction Closed

Syncope, 1943

André Masson

Syncope, 1943

Sale Date: June 8, 2011

Auction Closed

Nu féminin de dos

André Masson

Nu féminin de dos

Sale Date: June 1, 2011

Auction Closed

Le Philosophe et le Papillon (from Je Rêve), 1975

André Masson

Le Philosophe et le Papillon (from Je Rêve), 1975

Sale Date: June 9, 2011

Auction Closed

Atalante, 1967

André Masson

Atalante, 1967

Sale Date: June 9, 2011

Auction Closed

Oaristys (+ 2 others; 3 works), 1973

André Masson

Oaristys (+ 2 others; 3 works), 1973

Sale Date: June 9, 2011

Auction Closed

L'OEuf cosmique, 1961

André Masson

L'OEuf cosmique, 1961

Sale Date: June 9, 2011

Auction Closed

Senza titolo (etude pour viols ed métamorphoses)

André Masson

Senza titolo (etude pour viols ed métamorphoses)

Sale Date: June 11, 2011

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel - Composition, 1965

André Masson

Ohne Titel - Composition, 1965

Sale Date: June 16, 2011

Auction Closed

Les poissons, 1923

André Masson

Les poissons, 1923

Sale Date: June 1, 2011

Auction Closed

Animaux accouplés, 1927

André Masson

Animaux accouplés, 1927

Sale Date: June 1, 2011

Auction Closed

Femme tourmentée, 1942

André Masson

Femme tourmentée, 1942

Sale Date: June 1, 2011

Auction Closed

Paysage à la charette bleue, 1950

André Masson

Paysage à la charette bleue, 1950

Sale Date: June 1, 2011

Auction Closed

Chantier d'oiseaux, 1941

André Masson

Chantier d'oiseaux, 1941

Sale Date: June 1, 2011

Auction Closed

Portrait de Goethe, 1940

André Masson

Portrait de Goethe, 1940

Sale Date: June 1, 2011

Auction Closed

La chute (Le viol ou l'amour de la vitesse), 1939

André Masson

La chute (Le viol ou l'amour de la vitesse), 1939

Sale Date: June 1, 2011

Auction Closed

Untitled (Visage), 1960

André Masson

Untitled (Visage), 1960

Sale Date: May 17, 2011

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1942–1943

André Masson

Untitled, 1942–1943

Sale Date: May 25, 2011

Auction Closed

Dessins érotiques (portfolio of 20 w/colophon)

André Masson

Dessins érotiques (portfolio of 20 w/colophon)

Sale Date: May 26, 2011

Auction Closed

English (US)

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